The present invention represents an improvement over the connecting devices disclosed in W. N. Moroney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,300, issued Jan. 25, 1966; T. B. Saunders, U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,960, issued Sept. 17, 1968; and D. R. Hoffmann, U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,249, issued July 25, 1972. The Moroney patent and the Hoffmann patent disclose plastic connecting devices in which the right angled end of an actuating rod is pushed through an aperture in the device and retained by one or more shouldered recesses in arms or walls. Generally the removal force is substantially equal to the insertion force and hence does not provide a positive engagement. The Saunders patent required a rotation to bring the body of the rod into alignment with a retention recess. In many instances the assembly operation is carried out blindly, for example, the rod end must be inserted into the retaining device without the worker actually seeing what he is doing. Hence, in the haste of mass assembly many rods when associated with fasteners disclosed in these patents are not firmly seated or brought into proper alignment within the retention means and hence failure in the field necessitates expensive repair jobs. In many instances wherein the retention means is utilized for a door lock actuating rod the entire trim panel including actuating levers for the door handle and windows must be removed to obtain access to the interior of the door mechanism.
An object of the present invention is to provide a connecting means which gives the operator "feel" during insertion of the rod and insures assembly of the rod to the fastening means and further to remove substantially all "play" of the rod relative to the fastening device after installation therein.